Auto News and Information

Fisker recalls 239 Karmas over battery issues

The Fisker Karma at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Image: Autoviva.com/Flickr/CC BY

Green automaker Fisker announced a “potential safety issue” last week concerning the batteries in some of its Karma models. Friday the company made it official. Fisker will be recalling about 239 cars. An assembly error in the battery system could potentially cause a fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall filing said.

Alerted by battery supplier

The recall affects Karmas assembled from July 1 to Nov. 3. Fisker was alerted to the problem by its battery supplier. The supplier noticed that some of the hose clamps to the battery’s internal cooling system were misaligned. They were positioned in such a way that a coolant leak could potentially cause a short circuit and a subsequent fire.

Replacing battery packs

Henrik Fisker, chief designer and CEO at Fisker, wrote in an open letter:

“Our quality check procedures have enabled us to identify a potential battery coolant issue at the factory and initiate a rapid response program to address it in the marketplace. As a precaution we are replacing battery packs in the 50 cars already in customer hands with brand new ones, and are making modifications to address the issue in the more than 1,200 Karmas already produced and in production.”

Fifty in driveways

Although the recall affects 239 cars, Fisker believes most of them are still in dealer inventories. About 50 are believed to have been sold to consumers. The automaker says the owners will be notified in mid-January. The company says its dealers will replace the battery pack free of charge.

The Karma is one of the most pricy electrical vehicles on the market. The luxurious and sporty EV sells for more than $100,000.

EV battery issues

The Karma is not the only EV to to get unwanted attention over battery issues recently. GM’s Chevy Volt is under scrutiny from federal regulators over battery problems that could start a fire after a delayed period following an accident.

For more information on the Karma recall, contact Fisker consumer affairs at 1-855-575-7577, select option 2.